NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and other accused in the National Herald case today told a Delhi court that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy should first satisfy it about the relevance of documents which were ordered to be summoned from various ministries in the matter.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Gandhis, told Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen that complainant Swamy will have to show as to how these documents summoned by the court on January 11 were relevant to the case.
Sibal told the court that the order has been challenged before the high court by Motilal Vora, an accused in the case, and the high court has issued a notice to Swamy on the plea.
The lawyers representing the accused also told the court that these documents should be kept in a sealed cover till the issue is decided by the high court.
Opposing the contentions, Swamy told the court that the documents, which were placed before the magistrate today, were related to Associated Journal Ltd (AJL) and they were required for the case.
During the hearing, in which media was not allowed, Swamy argued that although the high court has issued a notice on Vora’s plea it had not stayed the order summoning documents from these ministries.
The magistrate, after hearing the submissions, reserved his order on the plea moved by the accused persons for 4 pm today.
The court granted bail to co-accused Sam Pitroda, who appeared before it today, on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of the like amount.
The Gandhis and other three accused – Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey- were today granted exemption from personal appearance by the court as per the Supreme Court’s February 12 order.(Agencies)
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